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Do Not Call List Blocks Telemarketers: Survey

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 25, 2012) - Canada's National Do Not Call List (DNCL) continues to be effective in blocking unwanted telemarketing calls, but enforcement against offshore rogue telemarketers remains a clear challenge for the CRTC, according to the latest VoxPop (Voice of the People) survey.

Nearly eight-in-ten DNCL registrants (78%) report that they now receive fewer telemarketing calls than they did before they added their telephone number to the national no-call list.

The survey, co-fielded by Acrobat Research and Advanis, is the fourth to measure the effectiveness of the National Do Not Call List since its launch on September 30, 2008. It was commissioned by the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) to hear from Canadians about how effectively the no-call list is serving them. The MRIA governs and represents Canada's marketing, survey and public opinion research industry.

"Canada's National Do Not Call List continues to benefit the great majority of those who have registered their telephone number," says Brendan Wycks, executive director of MRIA. "Nationally, 42 per cent of those who have registered a telephone number report that they now receive noticeably fewer or far fewer telemarketing calls; 31 per cent say they now receive slightly fewer telemarketing calls; and five per cent report receiving no telemarketing calls at all since registering."

That said, a minority of DNCL registrants are being besieged by rogue telemarketers. The survey found that 18 per cent of those who have signed on to the National DNCL say they are now receiving more telemarketing calls than they did before registering their telephone number.

"One of the great challenges facing the CRTC, as the regulator, is combatting the rising number of rogue telemarketers using automatic dialers to phone Canadians whether they are registered on the no-call list or not," says Wycks.

"The CRTC has issued more than $2.1 million in fines since the DNCL was established in 2008. But catching and punishing unscrupulous telemarketers is, in many cases, extremely difficult because so many of these calls originate from outside Canada. We are encouraged to see that the CRTC is reaching out to its international counterparts to facilitate enforcement measures."

DNCL registrants who receive an unwanted telemarketing call should try to record the name of the company making the call and, if possible, its telephone number and provide that information to the CRTC. People can notify the CRTC of unwanted telemarketing calls on-line by visiting www.dncl.gc.ca or by phone by calling 1-866-580-3625.

The survey also found that:

Awareness of the National DNCL stands at 83 per cent among adult Canadians, versus 82 per cent in 2011.

40 per cent of adult Canadians have registered their residential land line on the National DNCL, versus 39 per cent in 2011.

15 per cent of adult Canadians have registered a cell phone number on the National DNCL, unchanged since 2011.

Findings by province/region

The proportion of adults who have registered a landline telephone number on Canada's National Do Not Call List is highest in Alberta (48%) followed by Ontario (46%), Atlantic Canada and Manitoba/Saskatchewan (44%), British Columbia (34%), and Quebec (29%).

The proportion of adults who have registered a cell phone number on Canada's National Do Not Call List is highest in Ontario and Manitoba/Saskatchewan (19%) followed by Atlantic Canada (17%), Alberta (14%), Quebec (11%) and British Columbia (8%).

National DNCL registrants who report that they now receive fewer telemarketing calls is highest in Quebec (91%) followed by Atlantic Canada (90%), British Columbia (84%), Ontario (76%), Alberta (69%), and Manitoba/Saskatchewan (59%).

National DNCL registrants who report that they are now receiving more telemarketing calls is highest in Manitoba/Saskatchewan (39%) followed by Alberta (26%), Ontario (20%), British Columbia (13%), Atlantic Canada (9%) and Quebec (7%).

MRIA's VoxPop survey on Canada's National Do Not Call List was conducted by Acrobat Research and Advanis - both Gold Seal-Certified Corporate Research Agency members of MRIA - via telephone between January 9 and January 15, 2012, with a national random sample of 1,022 adult Canadians aged 18 years and over, and is considered accurate to within ± 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20. Percentages may not sum up to 100 due to rounding.

This survey is part of a series from VoxPop, MRIA's campaign to give voice to Canadians and demonstrate how public opinion research strengthens Canada's democracy by giving people a say in decisions by governments and corporations that will affect their lives. VoxPop: You speak. We listen.Things improve.

Contact Information

For more information or an interviewXposure PRTerance BrouseSenior Consultant(647) 274-5249tebrouse@rogers.com